Waseca County, Minnesota - Chapter 39, 1905

Settler, A. G. Sutlief

AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY - STATE R. R. BONDS, $5,000,000 SWINDLE - LOREN G. WOOD SHOT - YEAR OF STORMS AND FIRESCHICAGO CREMATED - WASECA COUNTY FIRES - FIRST LIBRARY ASSOCIATION - ELECTION RETURNS - DEATH OF FIRST SETTLER, A. G. SUTLIEF.

The SabhMth daj^, bright and still, with blue skies and a balmy atmosphere, iishered in the New year, 1871. It was one of the very few years in the history of civilization when the year began and ended on Sunday or the Sabbath day; for, whether properly or impropei'ly, both names are used interchangeably.

We digress a little to remark that, aside from all religious views or creeds, Sunday should be observed as a day of rest; not, perhaps, for the sake of the Sabbath, but for the sake of man. For yenvH past, the nation has recognized the fact that laboring men engaged in public work and for great corporations have no Sabbath - no day of rest that they can call their own. It is pretty well settled that the day of rest, prescribed by the law of Moses, was based upon the fact that such rest, as a rule, is essential to, and promotes health. The day ought to be kept quietly, reverently, studiously, and thoughtfully. Always remember that "the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath."

the eleventh of January and continued two days. With the exception of this rather severe storm, the winter was comparatively a mild one, and favorable to farm work and general business.

Agricultural Society

At the ]\Iarch meeting of the board, very little aside from routine business was done. Seventy-five dollars was appropriated for the grading of the hill at ilcDougall Creek on the Wilton and Waseca road. The old court house lots in AVilton, belonging to the county, were deeded to the village of Wilton. The sum of $156 was appropriated to build a fence and a walk around the new court house gi'ounds.

The annual I'eport made at this session showed the balance of cash on hand to have been $473,48, with uncollected- taxes amounting to $8,645.S7.

In territorial days, 1857-8, when the times were hard and people were very much depressed, the territorial legislature, without any lawful authority, submitted a so-called constitutional amendment to the constitution that had been submitted and adopted the fall before but that was then held up liy congress. The so-called amendment was submitted to the people April 15th and adopted, but Minnesota was not admitted as a state imtil ]May 11, 1858. As soon as the people realized what a flood of fraud and corruption and deception had deluged the young community, they denounced and repudiated the M'hole thing. The legislature of 185!)-(30 submitted an amendment providing that no more bonds should be issued-.1i'2,50(»,000 having been already is.sued - and that no part of those issued should ever be paid without first submitting the ([ucstion of payment to the voters of the state. Thus matters stood until the winter of 1871, when

As showing that bribery and corruption are not confined alone to the present day, an extract from the Waseca News of April 5, 1871, will be appropriate. On that date it said :

"^Ye were aroused to a realizing sense of the iniquities of the scheme, last week, by a contemptible offer of the sum of $100, provided we would abandon our honest convictions regarding this bond measure and advocate its adoption by the people. And we were further awakened to a realizing sense of the danger of this proposition by the assurance, on the part of the tempter, that the proposition would surely carry, as nearly all the leading papers of the state had found it to their interest to advance the measure, either directly or indirectly. In a word, those interested in the scheme are prepared to spend a large amount of money to corrupt the people - or, rather, those who discuss public topics through the newspapers and on the stump.

"As the bondholders have the temerity to send their agents about the country with offers of bribery to editors, publishers and lawyers, they certainly will not scruple to use all the appliances that brains and money can command to corrupt the governor, the commissioners, and the attorneys that are, under the proposed law, to present and pass upon their claims.

Loren G. Wood Shot

April 13th Loren G. Wood, and Allen Scott, son and nephew respectively of the late Eri 6. AYood, started on a duck hunt across Clear lake. They secured a boat belonging to a ilr. Green and crossed the lake. Shortly afterward, 'Mr. Green desiring to use the boat, went and got it, leaving the boys to return afoot. While on their way home, traveling single file over a narrow path, on the east shore of the lake, with Scott in the rear carrying a loaded gun, Scott stumbled and fell, bringing the muzzle of his gun to the front, on a line with Wood's right foot. While in this position the gun was accidentally discharged, and Loren received the whole charge of the gun in the hollow of his foot. I\Ir. Green, who was within hailing distance on the lake, hastened to the scene of the accident, and assisted in conveying the wounded boy home. Some of the shot passed entirely through the foot, but Dr. Young, who dressed the wound, took from it some shot and a quantity of wadding. Loren never fully recovered the use of his foot.

Fourth Of July

The day was formally celebrated at Janesville, Hon. Amos Coggswell, of Owatonna, being the orator of the day. Waseca also had a celebration of all home talent. There was a baseball game between Waterville and Blooming Grove, and a boat race on Clear lake.

Destructive Storms

"The pleasures and festivities of the Fourth of July were not ended when, over a large portion of southwestern Minnesota, the Storm God wheeled his chariots into line and devastated a large extent of country along the rich valley of the Minnesota river. The storm swept across a large region of country between Madelia and New Ulm, crossing into Nicollet county, sweeping in great fury down the Minnesota valley, and thence through Mankato, Le Ray and Jamestown.

"Last Friday afternoon, July 7, 1871, while the people were talking and lamenting over the news of the destructive storm of July 4th, in adjoining counties, dark clouds appeared in the southwest and the northwest and apparently joined In battle array some miles west of here. The storm came on rapidly, the wind blew a gale, some hail fell, but no serious damage resulted in this village. - North and west of this place, however, in the towns of Janesville, Iosco, and Blooming Grove, the destruction of crops was total over a large extent of country. Mr. Mc- Dermott, of Blooming Grove, informs us that the crops in his neighborhood are almost totally destroyed - that the trees, even, are stripped of their foliage. From Mr. J. E. Jones, of Iosco, we learn that the crops are wholly destroyed for several miles north of his place, his own with the rest. The house of Mr. Larsen, in the Riley neighborhood, was blown down, and the fences generally were prostrated."

Thousands of acres in this county were laid waste, and the people were left in very distressing circumstances. The course of the storm was from west to east and laid waste a strip of country from two to four miles wide across the northern tier of townships. Many of the hailstones were as large as lien's eggs. and, in many places, the ground was covered with them. The destruction to crops in the state, that year, by wind and hail, was so far-reaching, that the legislature, at its next session, made provision to furnish a loan of seed grain to the sufl'ering farm-

Relief For The Storm Stricken

Hon. Warren Smith was appointed by Gov. Austin as state commissioner to ascertain and report in regard to damages by storm or prairie fire to settlers of this county during the season, and about Dec. 20th, he received $425.00 from the state to be distributed equally among seventeen of the most destitute families. In addition to this amount, the citizens of Waseca had contributed $100, and the county commissioners had received $200 in state funds, making in all $725.00, besides some clothing, which was distributed among the needy.

Year Of Terrible Fires

The year 1871 was one of very destructive fires in several localities in this country, the most noted being the great Chicago fire of October 8, 9 and 10. The fire originated in a cow-stable at 9.30 o'clock, Sunday evening. A strong west wind drove it rapidly through seventy-three miles of streets till it covered three and a half square miles of the doomed city, destroyed 200 lives, 17,450 buildings, and property valued at $200,000,000 - the number rendered homeless being 98,500 people.

At the same time a devastating sheet of fire, ten miles wide, swept over the country bordering Green Bay, Wis., causing the death of one thousand people and destroying property to the value of $3,000,000.

The first week in October, a, great prairie fire originated near Breckenridge, Minn., and was driven eastward by strong winds a distance of about one hundred and sixty miles. It left in its track a scene of desolation unparalleled in the history of the state. Buildings, fencing, grain and hay stacks, and cornfields, were swept away by this roaring, crackling, consuming monster of the prairie. Fortunately no lives were lost though a number of people had narrow escapes.

October 4 and 5, a prairie fire swept the towns of Vivian, Byron, and Wilton. In Byron, Wm. Smith's house, stable, reaper, wagon, and household goods were consumed. His two dogs were so frightened that they fled to the cellar where both were burned to death. Alex. Brisbane's stable, seeder, and much of his fencing were destroyed. One of the ^Messrs. ilcGrath had his one hundred-acre crop all destroyed, but saved his house. Mr. Quinn lost his house and some other property. Tiranville Barnes, John C. Hunter, and others lost considerable property. Almost every farmer in the line of the fire lost more or less fencing.

First Library Association

The first library nssoeiation was organized by adopting articles of incorporation Dec. 1, 1S71. The incorporators were (t. P. Johnson, Kcv. B. C. Starr, James E. Child, Fred Kittredu.^ J. P. :\rurphy, B. S. Lewis, H. A. :Mosher, Rev. P. A. Riggin, A. E. Di'Mrborn, Edgar Cronkhite, Y,. P. Latham, Hiram Lanpher, AVarren Smith, D. E. Priest and Edward Bennett. The association started out with one hundred volumes of standard works, and soon after added about fifty volumes more, mostly by donation. The originators of the oriianization were largely actuated by altruistic motives, hoping therein' to benefit the community at lai-ge. The library from the start was only partially successful. The demand for history, biography and standard literature was slight comj)ared with the demand for trashy stuff of a romantic chnraetcr. In a few years the stockholders dissolved the corporation and divided the books among themselves.

The Election Of 1871

The local result of the election was a queer mixture - showing a preponderance of local and pei'sonal feeling superior to political considerations. AVhile the republicans carried the state ticket by majorities ranging from two hundred to two hundred and sixty-three, many of the local candidates on the republican happinesses, its successes and its disappointments, had passed into history and eternity. The terrible conflagrations that swept many places in the West, nearly destroying Chieauo and some other places, formed a heart-rending chapter in the history of America. In Minnesota, many localities suffered from fire and storm, although the state at large enjoyed general prosperity. The noble generosity of the American people, however, was displayed as never before. Throughout the length and breadth of the land, a noble impulse of generous charity furnished the means to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, and furnish homes for the homeless. The afflictions of the year stirred the noblest impulses of the American heart, and, for a time, at least, drove mean selfishness out of sight, and made us more charitable toward all mankind.

Notes Op The Year 1871

Ozias Baker, one of the very early boy-settlers of the county, son of Wm. S. Baker, died of consumption, Feb. 10. 1871. aged twenty-seven years. He was one of the heroes of Company (t, First ^linnesota Regiment; he servetl three years therein and then enlisted and seiwed in the First ilinnesota Heavy Artillery until the close of the Rebellion.

Mr. Asa (J. Stitlief, the first white man to make a home in Waseca county, after a linuering illness of some weeks, died Oct. 13, 1871. At the time of his death lie was considered one of the wealthiest men in the county. A bio'^rnphieal sketch of him apjieai's elsewhere in this work.